There seems to be almost universal support in this country for the abandonment of Australia's ODI cricket tour of Zimbabwe pencilled in for September. The pollies all agree, the commentariat seem to all agree, the Roman Catholic Church agrees, the only dissenting voices I have seen are from the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Australia (well he would, wouldn't he?) and former Test batsman Vusi Sibanda, who now lives in Sydney.

All bound for Mu Mu Land!

Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper turned serial dial-a-quote, has come up with A Great Idea.

Latif has suggested that selectors should consult with the umpires before choosing their starting eleven.

Rupert Murdoch is a bloody shrewd businessman. And like many in business these days, he knows that the long-term effects of climate change are bad for business. Hence this week's announcements of News Corporation's plans for carbon neutrality.

Here's the News Corp press release, and a full transcript of Rupert's speech on Wednesday morning.

As the Governor of the US Protectorate of England, Tony Blair, prepares for the next stage of his career, ie. the autobiography, read this tribute to the Great Man from Tariq Ali.

Australia is scheduled to play three one-day internationals in Zimbabwe in September. They should not go. Furthermore, they should not pay the $US 2 million break fee for not going.

It doesn't take rocket science to understand why. Playing international cricket in a country which has been governed into an absolutely ruinous state would be a sign of ceremonial largesse of the most unspeakable obscenity. Inflation is running at more than 2000 per cent per annum, 38 per cent of the population are malnourished (source: World Food Programme), 85 per cent are unemployed, about a quarter have HIV/AIDS, and President Robert Mugabe rules dictatorially, violently suppressing opposition and silencing contrary opinion in the media.

We've accepted by now that the Federal Budget gave little more than lip service to handling climate change. One of the more kindly suggested reasons could be that the Government might be saving up its pork barrelling... er, expenditure announcements till the Prime Ministerial Task Force on Emissions Trading presents its report on May 31.

The Task Force's sub-website can be found here. Worth noting is the composition of the PMTFET:

"Australia is in the middle of a climate change wildfire and Peter Costello just fired a water pistol at it."

- Senator Lyn Allison (Australian Democrats), 9.5.07

Peter Costello got some feedback from God this morning. Here is the transcript of their conversation.

"Annual funding for Indigenous health has increased by over $270 million or by more than 170 per cent in real terms since 1996."

- Opening paragraph of press release on indigenous health budget initiatives, Tony Abbott, 8.5.07

Golly gee. Fair bit of good that has done, as I have already noted.